During one of the first Humanities lessons this year, the hands of my 7th grade historians shot into the air in response to my question: should statues honoring Confederate generals be removed from cities and towns across the U.S.? I’m always inspired by how much our scholars care about the world around them, and I’d been looking forward to this class discussion ever since summer T School, when I saw the topic on the history syllabus for middle school students.

Success Academy sent HSLA world history teacher Natasha Venner to the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Teaching Seminar at Oxford University this summer. History at Success is all about active engagement and using a rich variety of texts and techniques. The seminar was an incredible chance for her to bolster her skills and spark new ideas for the fall.

We want to ensure that every scholar feels included and in touch with their cultural background while at our schools. SA Prospect Heights launched an initiative promoting racial awareness in the classroom and among staff, and recently held two sessions focused on culturally responsive teaching.

This past weekend, nine of my scholars from the Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts traveled to Philadelphia to take part in the Penn Relay Races — a track and field event that has taken place annually since 1895.

Most people don’t know this, but there are leading math educators whose celebrity status rivals Hollywood’s favorite movie stars. At least among math teachers! When Success Academy provided our high school math team with the chance to attend the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in San Antonio, Texas— essentially the Oscars of math education — we could hardly wait.

Discovery is the name of the game, and associate science teachers like Tracy make the most of every opportunity to engage their scholars, all while growing in their own careers through our exciting and selective Teaching Residency Program.

Tonight, more than 50 scholars will transport an audience of families and friends to “Never Never Land” for sixty minutes, as they act, sing, and dance in Peter Pan — Success Academy Williamsburg’s first-ever musical performance.

Tomorrow evening, hundreds of Success Academy families and staff will pack into the auditorium at SA Union Square as 170 scholars go through their final stretching routines and vocal warmups backstage.